Candle extinguisher



May'16, v CORMIER 2,158,744

CANDLE EXTINGUISHER Filed Feb. 24, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /0 I HQ. 4.

4a 4 I I 47 Ii, 35 I JP Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to candle extinguishers for use in churches and in other buildings or situations where candles are employed for decorative or other purposes, and the object of the invention is to provide an improved pneumatic device of this class.

To this end I have provided a portable pneumatic candle extinguisher comprising an elongate tubular conduit member one end portion of which serves as a handle by means of which it is carried and manipulated and whose opposite end is provided with a nozzle or air outlet through which a blast of air may be caused at will to be discharged on to the burning wick of a candle to extinguish the same. To produce and control this blast of air I provide on said conduit member a. blower whose outlet discharges into said member; a power driven motor for driving said blower, and a control member manually operable to start and stop said motor. Other features of my invention are hereinafter pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation, partly broken away, of a candle extinguisher constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the upper end portion of the tubular conduit member viewed from another side.

Figure 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of the lower handle portion of the extinguisher.

Figure 4 is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 3 viewed from the right hand side of the latter.

Figure 5 is an elevation of some of the parts shown in Fig. 3 viewed from the left hand side of the latter.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention H1 is the elongate tubular member; I I is the noz zle or air outlet; I2 is the blower; I3 is the motor, and I4, Fig.3, the control member.

The blower I2 is constructed with a sheet metal casing having an outlet I5 leading into the tubular member H! which, as shown at 16 in Fig. 3 is closed at its lower end. This lower end of the tubular member is constructed with bracket arms I1 to which is fastened the frame l8 of the motor l3.

Fixed at its opposite ends to the frame I8 is a spindle IS on which is rotatably mounted a hollow drum 20 provided at its one end with a gear 2|. Within this drum is arranged a coiled spring 22 the outer end of which is anchored to the drum 20 and its inner end to a flange 23 forming part of a. sleeve loosely mounted on spindle Hi. This sleeve is also provided with a ratchet wheel 24 co-operatively associated with a pawl 25 pivotally supported on the frame l8. Ratchet wheel 24 has fixed to it a gear 26 that is in mesh with a pinion 21, Fig. 3, fast on a spindle 28. This spindle is provided at its outer end with a crank handle 29.

handle 29 in a right hand direction it acts through spindle 28, pinion 21, gear 26, rachet 24, and flange 23 to wind up the spring 22, the pawl 25 serving as a detent to prevent reverse movement of the parts and to maintain the spring wound up while the motor is at rest.

When the motor is in operation the gear 2| drives a pinion 30 fast on an arbor 31 carrying a gear 32 which drives a pinion 33 fast on an arbor 34. a pinion 36 fast on an arbor 3'! carrying a gear 38. Gear 38 drives a pinion 39 fast on a shaft 40 which is part of the rotor of the blower I2. Within the casing of blower I2 the shaft 40 is provided with fan blades 4|.

The casing of blower I2 is constructed at one end thereof with air inlets 42 and it will be clear that when the rotor of the blower is operating air is drawn into its casing at the inlets 42 and discharged through outlet |5 into the tubular member l0 through which it proceeds to the nozzle II.

The rotor 4| of the blower includes a disk or flange 43 that is fast on shaft 40, said disk being disposed close to one end wall of the blower casing which is formed with an aperture 44 that is occupied by a brake shoe 45 that is carried by an arm 46 forming part of a rock shaft 14 of which it constitutes one end portion. The shaft I4 is journaled in lugs 41' forming part of frame I8 and its opposite end portion is bent laterally to provide a radial arm 48 that is co-operatively associated with a control member herein shown as a hand lever 49 pivotally mounted at 50 on tubular member ID.

A coiled spring 5| encircling the shaft I4 has one end thereof connected with frame l8 and its opposite end connected with the shaft so that it normally urges the shaft in a direction to apply the brake shoe 45 to the flange 43 of the rotor of the blower thereby normally to hold the rotor at rest.

When it is desired to deliver a blast of air from nozzle II the lever 49 is manually swung on its pivots 50 in a direction to rock the shaft [4 so as to disengage brake shoe 45 from flange 43, whereupon the power of the spring 22 is transmitted through the above described gearing to the shaft 43 thereby to rotate the same.

When the hand pressure is removed from control lever 49 the spring 5| re-engages the brake It will be clear that by rotating crank Arbor 34 carries a gear 35 which drives I shoe with flange 43 thereby to stop the operation of the blower.

soldered, welded or otherwise secured to one side of the tubular member In is a relatively small tube 52 one end of which is curved laterally and disposed adjacent to the nozzle II. Within the upper end of this tube is provided a wax taper separably connected with the upper end of a wire or rod 53 that is slidably mounted within the tube 52. The rod 53 has fixed to it a, stem 54 projecting through a slot 55'formed longitudinally in the outer side of tube 52. Stem 54 extends loosely through a washer 56 between which and the head of stem 54 is arranged a spring 51 by which the washer is yieldingly held against the outside of tube 52.

When the stem 54 is shoved upwardly along the slot 55 the wax taper is caused to project from the upper end of tube 52 and is used in lighting the candles. After lighting the candles the stem 54 is moved back to its former position again which sheathes the wax taper wholly within tube 52 and extinguishes the flame at the upper end thereof. Thus the above described construction provides for both lighting and extinguishing the candles.

The above described candle extinguisher is of inexpensive and elficient construction and has the advantage that a strong and effective continuous blast of air can be created merely by finger pressure applied to a control member. This has the advantage that the operator is enabled to aim or direct. the blast of air with accuracy on to the candle, thus avoiding the muscular effort heretofore required to operate the device and which interfered with the proper direction of the blast.

As shown in Fig, 1, the spring motor mechanism may be provided with a housing 58 fastened by means of screws to the frame l8, said housing inclosing the running parts of the motor.

What I claim is:

A candle extinguisher comprising an elongate tubular conduit member having a closed handle portion at one end thereof and an air outlet at its opposite end; a fan rotor supported by said handle portion; a housing on said handle portion inclosing said rotor and provided with an air inlet and also with an air outlet communicating with the interior of said conduit member adjacent to said closed handle portion; a spring motor mounted on said handle portion comprising a coiled spring, a crank handle by means of which one end of said spring is wound up to store power in said spring and detent mechanism for maintaining said end in its wound up condition, a train of speed-up gearing supported by said handle portion through which the opposite end of said spring acts at times to rotate said fan rotor; brake mechanism normally engaging said fan rotor to hold the same at rest, said mechanism including a control member movably mounted on said handle portion in a position where it is accessible for operation by a hand of the operator by which said handle portion is grasped and said control member being manually adjusted in one direction to shift said brake mechanism out of engagement with said rotor, and a spring for shifting said brake mechanism in the opposite direction to stop said rotor when said control member is released by the operator.

PHILLIPPE D. CORMIER. 

